Police Officer Involved Domestic Violence.
Lighting a candle of remembrance for those who've lost their lives to domestic violence behind the blue wall, for strength and wisdom to those still there, and a non-ending prayer for those who thought they had escaped but can't stop being afraid.

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Sunday, April 29, 2007

Prosecutor probing 911 call, chiefCanton RepositoryThursday, April 26, 2007By Malcolm Hall...Canton City Prosecutor Frank Forchione is trying to determine if there may have been a domestic incident at Police Chief Martin Volkar's home when a 911 call was made... No arrest was made when police responded... Volkar reportedly was at the home with his wife, Rachel, who was a sergeant with the department at the time. "The other thing I am concerned with is missing evidence... I did meet with the mayor last week and I learned that some evidence is being held in a councilman's safe-deposit box... I don't have the 911 call (tape)... I want to know what was said and who said it... Some reports were written... I am waiting to talk to all the officers, I am waiting to see all the records... Was there domestic violence? Where is the evidence, like pictures and 911 call used to determine if charges should be filed? And was there sufficient evidence to file charges against one of the parties?"... "They called us as backup," Magnolia Police Chief Jeffrey Hagar said. "They probably should have passed it on to another (law enforcement) agency, that would be Stark County (sheriff). You can't investigate your own chief... Forchione said -- "Why is evidence not put in the police file but in a private safe-deposit box?"... Rachel Volkar has since resigned...

Officer reportedly threatened suicideCanton Repository
Friday, April 27, 2007
By Malcolm Hall
...According to a Magnolia police report, Rachel Volkar had threatened to commit suicide during a domestic incident. How local police handled the emergency call to the chief's residence is being investigated by Canton Law Department Prosecutor Francis Forchione. "I think it is clear she put a gun to her head," said Forchione. "The report indicates she put a loaded gun to her head. Two weeks later it (the gun) was given back to her. That concerns me. She received no counseling or psychological treatment. That concerns me and it should concern the public. The bigger question is why did she remain (on the police force) for four more months? She worked from October to February"... Volkar is married to Martin Volkar, the Waynesburg police chief...

Will this story disappear? Only one paper is carrying it. I commend the reporter for including what he has included in his telling. There is almost no reason to believe anything associated with information that is released by police on this event - in light of what IS known.

Detroit Police Officer Lathuya Weaver took a shot at her husband Darin in the bedroom of their Romulus home - the bullet passing over his shoulder, through the bedroom wall, and out of the house. Darin called 911 first saying that he had been shot at. Then Lathya's call came in, saying that she had been assaulted by her husband.

Detective Joshua Monte of the Romulus Police Department:

"...There wasn’t enough evidence at the scene to indicate that Weaver’s husband assaulted her, and warrant requests seeking charges against the husband were denied."

Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office issued a three count felony warrant against her, charging her with Felonious Assault; Discharge of a Firearm in a Building; and Felony Firearm. She is out on bond, suspended without pay, and is ordered to not carry a firearm or get into any more domestic fights while her career status is decided WITHIN the Detroit Police Department:

"CONDUCT UNBECOMING AN OFFICER, CONTRARY TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CODE OF ETHICS; THIS BEING IN VIOLATION OF THE 2003 DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT MANUAL SERIES 100, DIRECTIVE 102.3 – 7.9, CONDUCT UNPROFESSIONAL, COMMAND 1."

Saturday, April 28, 2007

I have looked deeply into the heart of the facts and supporting documents related to the murder of beloved Barbara Winn. After studying the case and talking to people involved, I know the only right action is to charge St. Paul Police Department's Aaron Foster and then step back and let the court do it's job -- find him innocent, or find him guilty.

[FROM SITE] "On May 8, 1981 Barbara L. Winn was murdered by her boyfriend after she told him to pack his things and move out of her Maplewood, Minnesota home. Barbara's children heard a violent fight between their mother and Aaron Walter Foster, Sr., followed by a gunshot. The children ran, immediately, to their mother's bedroom, and when they arrived, Foster was still in the room, but he left the room and ran downstairs to use the phone. Barbara's children found her standing in a corner of her bedroom...dying from a gunshot wound to her chest. Foster returned to the room and laid Barbara face down on the floor where she died in front of her three children. Foster took the gun from the room and left the residence. He threw the gun out of the car window, went to a nearby store, and returned to Barbara's residence a few minutes later. When police arrived, Foster told them that he had been downstairs packing his belongings in to his car when he heard a gunshot. He stated that he went upstairs to see what had happened and that Barbara told him, "I shot myself...get rid of the gun." Foster told police where to find the gun, which did in fact belong to him. Barbara had cuts, scratches, and bruises on her face and body from the fight she had with Foster moments before she was shot and died. Foster was never charged with Barbara's murder. You will learn a great deal about this case by visiting Barbara's web site: www.justiceforbarbara.com

This case is currently being reviewed by the Anoka County Attorney's Office. Robert Johnson is the Anoka County Attorney, and Bob Goodell is the assistant county attorney who is reviewing the case. Mr. Johnson is expected to make a charging decision very soon. Please sign the petition and let Robert Johnson know that it is time to bring Aaron Walter Foster, Sr. to justice for the murder of Barbara L. Winn. "

Thursday, April 26, 2007

FORT WAYNE INDIANA POLICE OFFICER CLARK "DAN" TYLER:..."Over the past few years, I've lost a lot of faith in my religion," he said, "and over the past year and a half, I basically found my faith and renewed my commitment not only to God, but my family, and I'm thankful it's all over"...

OFFICER ACQUITTED OF SPOUSAL BATTERYWIFE ALLEGED GRABBING, DESTRUCTION OF PHONESFort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN - 17 hours agoBy Dionne WaughThe Journal GazetteA jury found a Fort Wayne police officer not guilty Wednesday of assaulting his wife... His wife, who has filed for divorce, was not present... She testified Wednesday [that] Tyler held her down on the bed against her will and also grabbed her and threw her back on the bed after she got free. She said Tyler also snapped her cell phone in half and threw away the cordless house phone when she first tried to call for help. Tyler finally let her leave the room, she said, when the couple's 8-year-old daughter peeked in and asked whether her mother needed help... He repeatedly said he'd never grabbed or restrained his wife against her will. He also denied breaking the phones... Tyler's attorney, Patrick Arata, said Tyler's wife made up the story... Deputy Prosecutor Mark Caruso said Tyler – a skilled police investigator and military man – would know how to quickly cover his tracks. "A trained police officer would know you need to clean a crime scene if you don't want it to look like a crime scene," he said...http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/17137581.htm

EXCERPTS I HAVE FROM PREVIOUS NEWS:

...They began to argue. The woman wanted to stop. She told the man, Officer Clark D. Tyler of the Fort Wayne Police Department, to get off her. They exchanged words and he allegedly held her down... Police never found the broken phones in the bedroom but did recover the battery to the cordless phone, according to court documents. Tyler denied to the responding officers that he physically assaulted his wife or broke the phones. He subsequently declined to speak with city detectives who were assigned to the case... ACCORDING TO COURT RECORDS, THE WOMAN FILED A PROTECTIVE ORDER AGAINST TYLER IN MARCH AND THEN AGAIN SEPT. 6, FIVE DAYS AFTER OFFICERS WERE AT THE COUPLE'S HOME... he received a five-day unpaid suspension in late November [2006] for an unrelated charge of violating the department's computer policy...

Monday, April 23, 2007

Woman Describes Hostage OrdealKPHO Phoenix, AZ - 7 hours agoApril 23, 2007A Phoenix mom talked for the first time on Monday about the man who broke into her home April 12 and threatened to kill her, then led police on a two hour standoff before he was shot and killed. Shawn Hughes said everything changed when her two-and-a-half year relationship with Leonard Croskey, a former upstate New York police officer, came to an end.

"Basically he was saying by me leaving I was taking his life away and so he didn't feel like he had any other options... "He wasn't going to try and stop me from yelling anymore, but if I woke up my daughter, he said he he'd kill us both." Hughes insisted this was the first time Croskey had ever shown any signs of violence around her or her daughter.

She said she spent the next seven hours trying to convince him to leave. Around 6 a.m. on April 13, she said Croskey walked out without hurting her or her daughter. Authorities tracked Croskey to his Phoenix apartment a couple miles away where he sat in his SUV holding a gun during a standoff with police... The standoff ended when Croskey allegedly opened fire and officers shot and killed him. Hughes said she knows there's nothing she could have done to prevent what happened.

She said she just wonders how such a good man could suddenly do something so bad. "That's totally opposite of the person I actually knew," Hughes said.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Ex-cop had a troubled history before deathAlbany Times Union, NYBy CAROL DeMARE, Staff writerWednesday, April 19, 2007A former Albany cop was shot and killed by Phoenix police Friday after a dispute involving an ex-girlfriend. A similar domestic incident landed him in a New York state prison 11 years ago and ended his law enforcement career. In 1996, Leonard Croskey, then 27 and a patrol officer, pleaded guilty to burglary, admitting he broke into an ex-girlfriend's home. As part of a plea bargain, for which he received a prison term of 1 to 3 years, he resigned from the force... Croskey had been on the Albany force five years. Last week in Phoenix, Croskey, now 38, showed up around 11 p.m. at the home of his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend and held her at gunpoint all night long, threatening to kill her and himself... She was able to talk him into leaving... Phoenix police caught up with him as he was attempting to drive away from his home. During a two-hour standoff, police tried negotiating as Croskey held a gun to his head and threatened suicide. Croskey eventually got out of his car and opened fire on police. Two officers fired back and Croskey was seriously injured and pronounced dead at a hospital... Records at the Albany County jail show Croskey had been held there on at least four separate occasions... On Oct. 27, 1998, after being paroled, Croskey was back behind bars on charges of first-degree burglary, unlawful imprisonment and criminal trespass, jail Superintendent Tom Wigger said Tuesday... and he was turned over to parole officials in May 1999. It is unclear whether he was returned to prison or how the new charges were disposed of. On Aug. 15, 1999, Croskey was again in jail on new charges of burglary, criminal contempt and petit larceny. Two days later, Aug. 17, he was released from custody in Albany City Court...

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

From: KSDK4/17/2007A Pacific, Mo., police officer is behind bars tonight, accused of domestic abuse and resisting arrest. Steven Gasior Jr., 22, is facing a total of four criminal counts... Gasior apparently kicked in the front door of his ex-girlfriend's apartment, then dragged her from the closet where she was hiding. He allegedly pulled a gun, hit her with it and threatened her life. When officers arrived, they had to tackle Gasior and use pepper spray to subdue him. Authorities recovered a .40-caliber handgun... On Tuesday, he offered his resignation. Gasior is being held at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in lieu of $250,000 cash-only bond.

From: St. Louis Post-Dispatch04/17/2007The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney charged a former Pacific police officer today with first-degree burglary, domestic assault, tampering with a victim and resisting arrest. Steven Gasior, 22, allegedly forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment around noon Monday... When deputies arrived, they noticed the door had been forced open and went inside the apartment. Gasior then told them he had been arguing with his girlfriend and deputies could hear her crying in a back bedroom, Brown said. They asked if everything was OK and she said, "No." After she came out of the room, she told police that Gasior had hit her on the head with a gun, threatened to kill her if she said anything and thrown the gun into a pile of clothes inside the bedroom, Brown said. At that point, Gasior started running toward the bedroom and deputies ordered him to stop. After a short struggle, officers handcuffed and arrested Gaisor...

Monday, April 16, 2007

... She received bruises on her knees and back... Roger Knott and Alt [Knott’s attorney] said his wife could have been bruised while moving furniture...

WHO BELIEVES THAT?

City Officer Acquitted Of Wife’s AssaultConflicting Testimony Kills Case Against KnottRocktown Weekly, VABy David ReynoldsPosted 2007-04-06HARRISONBURG — A judge acquitted a Harrisonburg police officer of assault and battery after the officer and his wife gave conflicting testimony about an argument they had in January. On Jan. 2, Sgt. Roger Knott, 38, turned himself in to Rockingham County sheriff’s deputies after his wife, Charity Knott, alleged he’d shoved her during an argument. She received bruises on her knees and back, according to court testimony. After more than an hour of testimony in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Thursday, Judge William W. Sharp said it was difficult to ascertain the truth from the two accounts of events. Sharp said that because the other evidence — deputies’ testimony and photos of the woman’s bruises — didn’t refute or confirm either account, he was going to dismiss the misdemeanor charge. Knott and his wife described their argument on Jan. 2, but differed on what started it and how she was bruised. Charity Knott testified that her husband used the door to shove her against the doorframe, causing her injuries. Roger Knott admitted struggling with the door, but said he was removing it from its hinges because he didn’t want it locked. "I never intended to hurt anybody," he said. Danita Alt, Roger Knott’s attorney, questioned the accuser’s credibility and asked whether she drank alcohol before the argument. She admitted she had been drinking. Roger Knott and Alt said his wife could have been bruised while moving furniture. Special Prosecutor Albert Mitchell, the commonwealth’s attorney in Shenandoah County, said Charity Knott was credible and that she had reported the incident to police right after the argument. After the hearing, Lt. Kurt Boshart, spokesman for the Harrisonburg Police Department, said Roger Knott had been on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case. Now acquitted, he will return to his job. Contact David Reynolds at 574-6278 or reynolds@dnronline.com

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Friday Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue's office authorized a $1,000 reward for information leading to finding Theresa Parker, a Walker County 911 dispatcher. State Rep. Jay Neal and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisted in putting together the reward. Her husband, Sam Parker, is currently the only named person of interest in Theresa's disappearance, and was fired a couple of days ago from LaFayette Police Department for explosives found in his work locker. Then from articles of yesterday's news - police were called to his residence:

Sheriff Steve Wilson says [Sam] Parker was actually holding two guns, a rifle and a pistol... Parker was upset with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the media, and that he couldn't take the pressure any longer... "When we responded here we certainly didn't know what the outcome would be," the sheriff said... "I felt like last night we were able to save Sam Parker's life," Sheriff Steve Wilson says...EXCERPT FROM NANCY GRACE SHOW:

...GRACE: A lady 911 police dispatcher missing day nine. Out to Nicole Partin, investigative reporter, had there been any history of domestic violence?

NICOLE PARTIN, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Yes, there had been, Nancy. In both 2002 and 2004, 911 calls show that there had been calls of domestic violence in the home. And then again in May of this year, calls had came in, both from Mr. Parker and then, 30 minutes before that, from Miss Parker, as well, claims of domestic violence in the home.

GRACE: Hold on. Hold on. That`s three calls, one in one day, and two in another day?

PARTIN: There were calls in 2002.

GRACE: Right.

PARTIN: Calls in 2004, and then again in May, there were also calls, 30 minutes she calls, 30 minutes later the husband calls, and says, you know, she`s claiming I`m ransacking the house, I`m abusing her. Come over here and see that I`m not. So both of them actually dialed 911 in one day.

GRACE: So she called claiming domestic abuse, and he called basically to tell?

PARTIN: Exactly.

GRACE: OK, so that`s three separate domestic abuse allegations. Did any of those go to court?

PARTIN: They did not. As far as we can tell, they did not. They were dismissed. Nothing became of it. I think on one occasion they sent an officer over. But we`ve got to remember, the estranged husband is a sergeant with the police department.

GRACE: Now, what am I supposed to remember about that, that you can`t have a domestic if you`re a police officer?

PARTIN: I think that you can, but I think in some cases -- this is a very small town. And from what I`ve been told, that a lot of this was kind of swept under the rug, and, you know, they would send an officer over, and he would kind of talk to Sergeant Parker, and that would be the end of it...

AND THEN - there is Theresa's loving cousin:

...On the 24th day of Theresa Parker's disappearance, her cousin Carl Cordell is still out early on his horse, looking for her. "I went on the mountains, back around the hills, went everywhere and I just don't know where she's at"... Cordell has known Parker his entire life and says she's like a sister... "Till she comes up missing... till she comes us dead... I'll keep looking for her till the day i die," Cordell says...

PRAY FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED -BOTH FAMILIES,FRIENDS,LAW ENFORCEMENT COLLEAGUES FROM THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES -

"...Despite an intensive manhunt, South Carolina authorities have been unable to locate Hiers, and requested the assistance of “Operation Intercept”, a U.S. Marshals-led fugitive task force. The U.S. Marshals Service has obtained a federal warrant for Hiers for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Hiers is described as a white male, age 32, 6’03”, 210 pounds with blues eyes and blond hair. He has eleven years of police experience, is trained in the martial arts, and maintains a high level of fitness. He is believed to be armed with a .40 caliber Glock pistol and may possess a bullet-resistant vest. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward for information directly leading to Hiers’ arrest..."

Thursday, April 5, 2007

...[Apopka Police Officer Robert] Caldwell called a commander at his police department, who came with others to the scene, even though it's outside Apopka's jurisdiction. "One of the Apopka officers showed up and tried to be a neutral person, which would have been fine, but I didn't feel comfortable talking to him," she said...

APOPKA, Fla. -- An Apopka woman said a police officer beat her up. She said she was shoved to the ground and kicked, but he was the one who called his fellow police officers.

Officer Robert Caldwell is on paid leave from the Apopka Police Department. He's never had any disciplinary problems, until last week.

Eyewitness news spoke with Caldwell's girlfriend, Denise Bakle, about how he exploded when she messed with his prized deer head. She said it was a mounted deer head that fell from a wall and broke, but said she never expected her boyfriend, a long-time officer at the Apopka Police Department, to react the way he did.

Bakle said, Thursday, she still has bruises from getting beat up a week ago by her boyfriend, Officer Robert Caldwell.

"He shoved me into the chair. I got up from that. He shoved me to the floor. I rolled away from him. He kicked me in the back," she said.

Bakle said she had just had surgery, but as she was calling 911 for help, she said Caldwell called a commander at his police department, who came with others to the scene, even though it's outside Apopka's jurisdiction.

"One of the Apopka officers showed up and tried to be a neutral person, which would have been fine, but I didn't feel comfortable talking to him," she said.

"No one was hiding anything, trying to protect anyone. All we were doing was doing our job," said Sgt. Jerome Miller, Apopka Police Department.

Apopka police said they were there to take Caldwell's gun and other police gear. It was Orange County sheriff's deputies who arrested him for domestic battery. The 18-year veteran of the police force is now on paid administrative leave and Bakle said their split is permanent.

"Haven't seen him, haven't heard from him," she said.

Apopka police told Eyewitness News it is not unusual for them to respond to this type of call, even if it is outside of their jurisdiction. Bakle said it made her uncomfortable, whether it was by the book or not. [Link][police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety florida state jail]

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

... Walker resigned from the Madison police after seven years of service... "The defendant, we believe, planned a home invasion in the middle of the night... and she used a shovel to break a window to get in, strangle the victim and in explicit threat against the victim"... Walker had been having a romantic relationship with the man's ex-wife...

MADISON, Wis. -- A University of Wisconsin law student and former Madison police officer was arrested this weekend on suspicion of breaking into a man's house and strangling him.

Laura Walker, 36, of Blanchardville, was at her bail hearing on Monday when she fainted.

The incident happened only a few minutes after the proceeding began at the Dane County Court. Walker resigned from the Madison police after seven years of service last December to keep studying to be a lawyer. She appeared very distressed at the cameras and media at the hearing, WISC-TV reported.

Suddenly, she fainted and hit the wall as she collapsed. Medical personnel were called in, and she was eventually wheeled out to get checked. She returned to the hearing about one hour later, WISC-TV reported.

Court records allege that Walker assaulted and threatened to kill the ex-husband of a woman with whom she was having a relationship. The district attorney's office said that her plan was calculated.

"The defendant, we believe, planned a home invasion in the middle of the night," said Michael Verveer, Dane County assistant district attorney. "She is a former Madison police officer and she used a shovel to break a window to get in, strangle the victim and in explicit threat against the victim."

The prosecution alleges that Walker told the man that she'd kill him if he reported her to the police.

Walker was arrested on tentative charges of burglary and reckless endangerment. She has been ordered to stay away from the victim and his two children if she makes bail. Her cash bail was set at $10,000, although her attorney said that she only has a few thousand dollars available to her.

Walker was a law intern at the district attorney's office last summer. Some there said that she was wonderful and they can't believe she's now in jail, WISC-TV reported.

The district attorney's office said that it hopes to have a special prosecutor handle her formal charging.

During her tenure with the Madison police, Walker sometimes worked as a public information officer. She is currently in her third year of law school, WISC-TV reported.

A former police officer who once interned in the district attorney's office here has been accused of breaking into a man's home, beating him and ordering him to stay away from his ex-wife.

Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard said Tuesday that the case against former Madison police officer Laura Walker, 36, was being moved to Milwaukee County to avoid a conflict of interest.

Walker, who has not yet been officially charged with a crime, was taken from a bail hearing Monday afternoon in a wheelchair after she appeared to faint and fell against a wall. She later posted $5,000 bail and left the jail.

Court Commissioner David Flesch issued a temporary restraining order banning Walker from the man's home. The district attorney's office described the break-in as a calculated crime.

"The defendant, we believe, planned a home invasion in the middle of the night," assistant district attorney Michael Verveer told WISC-TV. "She is a former Madison police officer, and she used a shovel to break a window to get in, strangle the victim and in explicit threat against the victim."

Walker had been having a romantic relationship with the man's ex-wife, according to the complaint for a search warrant on her Blanchardville home.

The 35-year-old man told police in court documents that he was in bed about 2 a.m. Saturday when he heard someone breaking into his house. He said he wrestled with the intruder, breaking a closet door, and managed to push the person out of his bedroom.

The man told police he recognized Walker when she pushed him to the floor and straddled him. He said she choked him and warned him away from his ex-wife, adding, "If you call the police, I'll kill you before they pick me up."

The man said Walker then kneed him in the stomach and calmly walked out the door.

Walker served with the Madison police from May 1999 to December, when she resigned. For part of that time, she was the department's public information officer.

A third-year University of Wisconsin law student, she also interned last summer with the district attorney's office.